2017 Citroën C3 review

Yes, I know, Citroën is French, so why did I go to Spain to
test the new
C3 out? Well, that’s where the international media drive event was
happening. I was invited, so it seemed rude not to oblige. Rather than a sunny,
blue-skied two days, we were met by rain that bore a resemblance to stair rods,
so the Citroën C3 was tested in an environment that, we British, are used to.
It wasn’t the plan – but I actually enjoyed seeing how much grip I could get
out of the C3 on the twisty, wet, entry and exit roads on Barcelona’s motorway
system.

Lean

Well, I’m still here and the Citroën
C3 1.2 Puretech 82 Flair I drove is still unsullied and undamaged over
on the continent. The result? Yes, the new C3 has bags of adherence to the
tarmac. It’s a shame there are no interior grip handles, though, as the car’s
seats, comfy though they are, don’t have enough side bolstering to keep you
from leaning into your passenger’s lap.

Safety

I say ‘new’, but the 2017 Citroën C3 is actually constructed
on the platform of the outgoing C3.
That’s no big issue, as everything above ground is as fresh as a daisy. The new
C3 is also safer, having been strengthened, should a crash occur. But the car’s
nose has also been modified so that any pedestrian unlucky enough to be struck
by the C3, will come away less injured than before.

Comfort

Even, though the 2017
Citroën C3 has more traction that ever, the ride is actually softer –
and far more comfortable than the old C3. The French car-maker isn’t
trying to make the C3 a sports car, it’s focusing on quirkiness, style and real
comfort.

Tech

Citroën makes
a big thing about technology in its adverts, so it’s no surprise that tech
plays a big part with the new
C3, too. The planet’s first factory fitted dash cam comes as standard on
the flagship Flair model. It’s an ingenious piece of kit, which will surely
have an impact on the insurance world. The camera, which can take stills and
video, will record 30 seconds of footage before, and after, any collision. Of
course, depressing crashes aside, there’s a fun element to this, where you can
place any images taken via the dash cam on social media. You have to get
an app downloaded onto your smartphone first before you can share (or bore) the
whole world with your road trip snaps. The other main piece of tech is the
infotainment system. It’s new, and simple to work, but the sat-nav did suffer
from a bit of lag in my car. As it’s an option on all but the higher range cars,
it’s just as easy to use the new C3’s Apple CarPlay or Android Auto gadgetry.
This way you can mirror your sat-nav from your smartphone onto the car’s
touch-screen.

Performance

The Citroën
C3 1.2 Puretech 82 Flair, tested here, is a top car, first and
foremost, for city driving. It has a real nippiness about it in urban areas,
but it does take a while to show off any kind of real speed out of town. That
said; as long as you don’t mind working the rather long legged, loose, five
geared manual gearbox and pressing your right foot into the carpet, the C3’s
three cylinders don’t resist. In fact, they seem to like being pushed hard –
making a satisfying noise, like a cat in peak purring mode. There’s not even
much detectable wind noise or tyre roar, either, when you finally get going.
The new C3’s biggest talent is definitely refinement – not many cars of this
size come close. Yes, the Ford Fiesta offers
a better dynamic drive, but it’s less fun to look at and Skoda’s Fabia is
positively dour in comparison.

Space

Parking the 2017 Citroën C3 is
a doddle – mainly because of its light steering, good visibility and overall
size. At speed, the steering becomes a little numb, but it’s no deal breaker.
The driving position is great and there’s loads of legroom for the front seat
passenger. Most rear-seat occupants won’t be comfortable on long journey’s due
to the rear sloping roofline and lack of legroom. That said; two young kids
will be fine sitting in the back of the car all day long – but adults won’t
thank you if you take them further than the city limits. The boot is a nice
size, though – and certainly big enough for the weekly shop or a toddler’s
buggy.

Less is More

The dashboard and cabin are best expressed as minimalistic –
but Citroën has
deliberately taken this ‘less is more’ approach. For example, rather than
proper interior door pulls, you get leather straps; basic, but clear,
instrumentation and, instead of soft touch materials, the dash, doors and
centre console brazenly show off shiny plastics. They are recycled, though – so
you kind of feel quite ‘green’ driving the C3. It actually all works very well
indeed, and makes the new C3 an easy ‘plug and play’ car to drive. It would
definitely suit new drivers, young drivers – and small families.

Verdict

The Citroën
C3 1.2 Puretech 82 Flair is available with loads of different roof and
body colour combinations, while the Airbumps that first appeared on
Citroën’s Cactus model,
are an option. So, the car is far funkier than many other superminis, and while
it may not have the power to match some rivals, at over 60mpg, it’ll be cheap
to run. You’ll also be making quite a statement about yourself if you choose to
buy or lease this car. It’s definitely got the ‘cool’ vote from me.